Tips for Secure Web Browsing

tips for secure web browsing

many people leave themselves completely vulnerable to the evils of the world wide web. i'm gonna guess that those people don't really know how to protect themselves, or don't really know that there is a problem. i'm mostly going to address malware and how to keep it off of your computer.

1. windows updates: first of all, you should always keep up with the latest windows updates and patches. this is the very first step and is completely crucial. you can actually set up windows to get the updates automatically! open up the control panel from the start menu. then open "system" and there should be a tab for automatic updates. turn it on! you are good to go.

2. anti-virus software: everyone should have antivirus software. it's a wonderful thing! it will actually watch for viruses for you. just make sure it is turned on and scan any files that are iffy. if you do not have anti-virus software, there is a free solution. AVG Anti-Virus by grisoft. the single edition is the free one. enjoy!

3. anti-ad/spyware software: clean up your system with one of the many programs available. if you don't want to dish out any money, there are free solutions here too. spybot s&d for one. do a search, i'm sure there are many more.

4. firefox: simply put, stop using IE.

5. don't mindlessly click stuff: it still amazes me that this is still an issue. it seems to me that it's been years that people have been advising not to open suspicious attachment in e-mails, and it's still being stressed because it is still an issue! common people! if you've followed my other advise up to this point, you should be good to virus-scan anything that looks iffy. if you get a message saying: "This is you bank. We need you to send us you password..." i know it's really tempting, but try to resist. also, if there are hyperlinks to websites in e-mails or messages that look funny, instead of just clicking the link, pull open firefox and actually type in the URL yourself so you are sure of where you are going.
myspace has gotten really bad about this. i know that everyone wants to fill out the latest survey, or see some viral video that is being chain-bullitoned, or even get a free ringtone :), but is it really that important?

6. NoScript (firefox extension): firefox has tons of great extension. follow this link and check some of them out: firefox addons. this particular extension is great because it blocks javascript, java, and other executable content. it only allows what you tell it to. after installing this extension you'll have to take the time to whitelist all of your favorite sites. but after that initial phase you'll be good to go! say goodbye to malware from here on out! i still occationally run my spybot and ad-aware just to make sure i'm good, and i have been completely malware free since installing this extension.
(note, NoScript isn't for everyone. It literally blocks everything!)
NoScript

i hope that at least somebody will get something from this. enjoy your new found knowledge, and safe surfing! :)

one last unrelated tip:
AdBlock firefox extension.
it's great, no more annoying adds.
AdBlock Filter.G Updater.
a great companion extension to AdBlock.